Faith & Blessing

I've been thinking a lot about the relationship between faith and blessing.  More specifically, I've been thinking about how God wants to bless me.  I'm using the first person here because I tend to always struggle a little in believing that things actually apply to me... but don't mistake my meaning.  I absolutely don't think that any of this applies only to me.

That said, what I've been learning is to believe that God does, in fact, want to bless me.  This does not mean that I think He is some "magic blessing machine". No disrespect to Joel Osteen, but I do not subscribe to his 'prosperity gospel'.  I believe that God's blessings have nothing to do with my faith, or my obedience to His Word.  I believe they are entirely due to His Love, His Mercy, His Grace, His Compassion, and His Abundance.  

I am learning that He longs to bless me, and it won't always look how I think it will.  I have a friend who always used to say "I want what I want, how I want it, and when I want it."  I think we all can relate to that!  But God has been showing me what "enough" means, and what it means is that He will provide exactly what I need when I need it.  Because He sees what I don't.  

And so I am learning to trust.  And I am learning the true connection between faith and obedience and blessing.  I don't obey to earn His favor, because I cannot earn His favor.  It is His free gift.  

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  

~ Eph. 2:8-9 (ESV).  

I am learning the meaning of Philippians 4:11-13  

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

And I am learning why I want to have faith, obey, and praise God for what He does.  It is because those things are vitally important for my relationship with Christ.  This is the most important relationship in my life and always will be.  For eternity!   

I am also learning that sometimes God does not give me His blessings until I am ready to receive them. This is also not an excuse to think I've somehow "earned" them, because He has been the one preparing me!  He prepares me because of His Goodness, and His Faithfulness to keep His promises!  I obviously will never be like Abraham, but I do believe I am learning the Truth of Romans 4:20-21

"No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised." 

This is a statement of faith which I need to share.  To give Glory to God that He has been teaching me to be fully convinced He is able to do exactly what He has promised!

Heart-Melting

This picture truly hits my heart today as my 14-year-old kitty has been ill the last couple of weeks.  Thankfully it has been with "minor" health issues but it's so hard to watch her not feel well and not be able to do much to help.

I learned that when a cat has a "cold" they often don't eat. Apparently if a cat cannot smell the food, it doesn't exist, even if she is looking right at it!  It helps to try really smelly food, and at one point I was hand-feeding her tuna!  But she is on the mend and I am thankful!

My sweetie!

Spring

It's Spring!  A time of joy and excitement and newness!  When many people seem to be so full of energy, brimming over with plans for projects and activities, and filled with desire to be outside!  Trees are blooming (quite late this year), the grass is green and the sounds of mowers are filling the air again, along with the smells of bar-be-ques.  Proms, graduations, bike rides, picnics, golf, baseball, sand volleyball... and soon there will be swimming and the ice cream truck making it's rounds... Summer is coming, and then Autumn again, and Winter... a wonderful, never-ending cycle.  Sun, Rain, Blooming Flowers, Green Grass, Thunderstorms, Blistering Heat, Crisp Air, Falling Leaves, Snow, Wind, Bitter Cold... I can't imagine living where there are no Seasons.

Daily Giggle

Today's Adorable

Face-plant Awesomeness

Daily Adorableness

I love pugs!

Time

Ticking like a clock. 
Or a bomb... 
Waiting to explode. 
Can I get there fast enough to disarm it? 
No.  Rushing makes it worse.
Must be patient, steady, precise. 
Can't get distratcted. 
Can't get nervous. 
Don't Panic. Don't Panic. 
Breathe. Breathe. 
Done. Crisis over. Again. 
Why do I panic? 
Time is not my enemy. 
Time is a friend, with surprises in hand. 
Great adventures, loving smiles. 
Bad experiences, some, but good too. 
Relaxing, fun, enriching. 
Allows me to... 
Grow, learn, see. 
Do, think, be. 
A great moment, a momentous event! 
And time stands still. 
Not even the clock ticks. 
Breathe. Breathe.
Time.

What goes around...

It seems these days that a trip to Target invariably means running into numerous college girls wearing leggings as pants (usually with short tops).  I was in college the first time this "fashion" was popular.  So, apparently we're up to the 90's in retro fashion, which makes sense as styles cycle about every twenty years or so.  I always find it interesting that young women seem to want to wear clothes so similar to the ones their mothers wore when they were young women (in order to assert their individual styles of course). Styles which their mothers were wearing around the time they were born.  Styles which would have made a huge imprint on their minds during their formative years.

And the hilarious part is that they never understand the connection they are so unwittingly making.  I remember being very in love with hip-hugging wide leg jeans, with peasant blouses, with scarves and leather necklaces and general hippie-chick chic.  I also remember my Mom laughing at me and asking if I wanted any of her old clothes.  I wonder if the mothers of these young women are digging in the backs of their closets for their old leggings, off-the-shoulder sweaters, leg warmers, and neon anything; thinking about how cool we used to think we were and how since then, we have come to see those styles as utterly ridiculous.

But I don't have any daughters, so I am just left shaking my head and giggling to myself in Target, exerting every ounce of energy I have to restrain myself from walking up to these girls, so proudly wearing their non-pants, and telling them that in a few years they will wonder what on earth they were thinking.

hmmm

Have been under the weather the past couple days, down with a sinus infection.  So plans to blog daily are on hold while I recuperate.

Resolutions

After my big declaration about faithful posting yesterday, I feel I cannot, by silence today, go back on my resolution so quickly. However, I also find I have nothing in particular to say.  So I think that occasionally I will share a quote or two that speak to me.  Today I found several lovely and encouraging quotes. Here are a couple!

"The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust in them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through was a longing. … For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited."  
~ C.S. Lewis

"You have to allow a certain amount of time in which you are doing nothing in order for things to occur to you, to let your mind think."
~ Mortimer J. Alder

A New Year

So, I have decided that I will blog most days, even if it's just a random thought.  And here's today's...  Though sometimes I am vocal in my opinions, often I hold back.  Maybe I'm afraid of offending someone, somewhere, or sometimes I feel like my thoughts are still unformed, not processed enough, or not polished enough.  Like if my opinion isn't "perfect" it shouldn't be shared. But sometimes sharing invites feedback which shapes, sharpens, and makes more substantial those somewhat unformed opinions. So this year I am sharing my thoughts, imperfect though they may be.  I will never be intentionally hurtful, that is not who I am, but I may occasionally be offensive or annoying to you if you don't agree with me, and that's ok.  Not everyone will always agree on every point.  I value feedback but please be respectful.

Here's to 2013!